Solar concentration by curved-base Fresnel lenses

The solar concentration performance of idealized curved base line focusing Fresnel lenses is analyzed. A simple optical model was introduced to study the effects of base curvature and lens f-number. Thin lens ray tracing and the laws of reflection and refraction are used to develop expression for lens transmittance and image plane intensity profiles. The intensity distribution over the solar spectrum, lens dispersion effects, and absorption by the lens material are included in the analysis. Model capabilities include assessment of lens performance in the presence of small transverse tracking errors and the sensitivity of solar image characteristics to focusing.